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AMHERST - Harold "Hal" Rauch's notable career in genetics research, teaching and administration was gratifying for him, while having a profound positive impact on others.

He was born in New York on Oct. 13, 1925, the son of Theodore and Claire Rauch. Soon after his birth, they moved to Flushing, N.Y., where he lived through the time of his graduation from Queens College with a bachelor of science in chemistry in 1944.

After college, he studied at Jackson Laboratory, an outstanding genetics research institution in Bar Harbor, Maine. That year, during World War II, he was inducted into the Army.

After the war ended, he chose to pursue his early interest in genetics, which was an emerging science. He earned a master of science at the University of Illinois and received his doctorate in genetics at Brown University in 1950.

The University of Massachusetts hired him as their first geneticist in biological sciences and he remained a member of their faculty until his retirement in 1990.

During his tenure at UMass, he served for a period as chair of the department and made significant research contributions related to phenylketonuria and Wilson's disease.

A part of Professor Rauch's legacy is the extension of his research at Jackson Laboratory and The Murdoch Genetics Institute of The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

Hal loved the arts, enjoyed gardening throughout his life, and became a passionate sculptor of alabaster during his retirement.

While Amherst was home for his last 57 years, he appreciated many summers on Cape Cod, and more than a dozen winters on Longboat Key and in Sarasota, Fla.

Admired and beloved by many for his intellect, humor, and modesty, Hall passed away on Feb. 10, 2010. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Nelson Rauch; his brother, Will Rauch; his children and their spouses, Dr. Steven Rauch (Lisa Geller, Ph.D. and juris doctor), Dr. Paula Rauch (Dr. Aubrey Dickman), and Dr. Scott Rauch (Dr. Gretchen Kind; and eight grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to support genetics research at The Jackson Laboratory, P.O. Box 254, Bar Harbor, ME 04609-0254.